~

 

“Stop following me like an old faithful dog…” Angela tossed back over her shoulder, and there was a low rumble of a deep growl, but Lark let that one slide.

He’d just met his mate, and at his age; he really didn’t feel like there was enough time left to woo her, let alone live the happily ever part for any significant length of time, at least, not enough for his liking.

But his wolf didn’t like being compared to a mutt and the beast made its protest known within him until he said something…

“Want me to roll over so you can rub my tummy?” He asked, and got a steely look that was tossed back over her shoulder at him, just before she almost took a header down into a ditch…

Lark acted a lot faster than he thought he could – maybe faster than he should have given his progressing years. He reached out with solid arms that wrapped around her and yanked her back into the safety and security of his steely arms and broad chest.

“Ok – you’re handier than I thought…” Angela sounded breathless as she noted the way that the pipework had been exposed by a slight landslide.

“There’s the muddy water problem…” Lark said, taking in the area and grunting in disbelief… “Looks like someone’s been digging…”

“Digging?” Angela scoffed at the idea. “Why?”

Her eyes took in the area and from what she could see there was little to nothing much around them.

“Not a clue…” he paused and eyed the land. “But it looks like there’s been a fair bit of it dotted around the area.”

“Maybe somebody buried a body?” Angela said.

“Then why would they leave holes everywhere?”

“Maybe they dug up a body … or three or four,” she bit back, annoyed that she hadn’t thought of that.

“People who bury dead people don’t usually come back and dig them up.”

“I don’t think I’m in danger of being swallowed up by the land… you can get your paws off me now…” Angela tried to move out of his arms, but the man was more than reluctant to let her go…

“But, now that I have you – what will I do with you?”

If it was at all possible then she thought that already deep voice of his had just gone into overdrive, probably like his libido – and she had to admit, only to herself, that there were a few stirrings within her body that she hadn’t felt in a long time…

“Kill me and put me out of the torturous, leech infested misery of life with you… you can toss me one of those holes.” She bit out, but something in the near distance caught her eye, and she craned her head on her neck for a better look… “What’s that?”

“What…?” Lark had been somewhat distracted by covertly taking her scent. His head came up and his eyes noticed the figure in the woods, as he too craned his head forwards for a better look… “Chloe?”

“Chloe? As in Aunt Chloe…?” Angela asked, but a blink later and the woman was gone.

“Impossible, but…” he shook his head in disbelief…

“Aunt Chloe … as in the old woman that died?” Angela demanded in disbelief…

“Maybe she’s a ghost…”

“Maybe you’re seeing things, senile old goat…” Angela shrugged out of his arms, and the man was so distracted that he let her… “That woman was in her twenties…”

“Y-e-s…” he gave a slow nod… “She was.”

He thought hard on that one, but for only as long as it took for a roar of a miffed off shifter to go up in the air and echo around the area…

“Holy hells bells – what are you people up to now?” Angela bit out.

It was at times like those that she regretted getting old, and she resented the hell out of the fact that she moved like a tortoise compared to her younger self – her mate was a damn sight faster though, and he had a solid arm around her waist and had snagged her against his hip as he took off at – what for her – felt like lightning speed, practically carrying her with him…

She wanted to zap him and thank him at the same time – for reminding her just how good it felt not to be caged into her elderly, traitorous, failing body, and getting another shot at some speed…

Lark stopped dead in his tracks the moment that the alpha went flying in front of them … the man was sailing backwards through his air, his arms and legs outstretched in front of him as if he were reaching back for something, and with a growl coming from his lips that was full of pure anger and a warning…

Angela’s head snapped around on her neck, and she regretted that pain once more, but her eyes fell on Sarah, standing there with her hands on her hips and a look on her face like she’d really enjoyed putting the alpha in his place…

“Oh dear…” Angela rolled her eyes back towards the alpha – just as the heavy thud of his body hitting the ground echoed through the enclosed gardens.

“Interesting…” Lark muttered. “Wonder what we missed.” He whispered out of the corner of his mouth towards his mate like a gossipy old woman.

“I’d say you were missing half a brain…” she shrugged at the sound of his grunt. “Truth hurts…”

“That had to hurt…” He offered back, nodding towards where the alpha was yanking his body back up to his full height.

Nathan’s chin was down towards his broad chest, and that chest was rising and falling with the breath that he was yanking in and growling back out again.

His dark eyes were locked and loaded on the witch that had used her magic to make a point, by playing ring toss with his body, and his large hands were fisted at his sides as he debated the rights and wrongs of killing his mate. Tempting!

“Don’t do that again!” Nathan growled out.

“You were sniffing…” Sarah hissed back…

“Scenting my mate…” Nathan returned fire with a dark look that fitted the alpha within him.

“Mate!” Angela exclaimed…

“That’s what we missed…” Lark chuckled as he folded his arms across his chest and settled in for the show.

“Mate my Aunt …”

“Chloe!” Lark said. “Which reminds me, I think I just saw her…”

Both Sarah and Nathan snapped their eyes towards the elder with a look of disbelief and confusion…

“Oh, no…” Nathan growled… “Lark’s finally gone senile.”